"The arrival of The Washington Times was for conservatives both a breath of fresh air and a daring challenge to the media establishment. From day one, conservatives on Capitol Hill and throughout the city looked to The Washington Times for lively, aggressive reporting and bold conservative editorial commentary." [3]

The Washingtonian wrote:

The Washington Times has served as a reliable voice for conservative views. Its coverage of the White House blossomed during the Reagan administration, when it became a champion for conservative causes and points of view. The newspaper’s circulation has hovered around 100,000, far below that of the dominant Washington Post, which has a daily circulation of just under 700,000. The Times has never been a commercial success.

"The American people know the truth. You, my friends at The Washington Times, have told it to them. It wasn't always the popular thing to do. But you were a loud and powerful voice."[4]

Future Changes

After over 27 years from its launch and losing over $2 billion dollars, the Washington Times announced on December 2009 that they are laying-off at least 40% of its staff and will shift to mainly free distribution. Billed as a conservative alternative to the Washington Post, the paper's recent circulation was at about 85,000 compared to the Post's 583,000. The Times' main focus will now be on a national audience and local coverage will be deemphasized. [5]

The financially troubled newspaper has reached a preliminary agreement to sell the paper to a company affiliated with the Unification Church. [6]